The UK is perhaps the most renowned country when it comes to music festivals. With a long track record of legendary annual events that have helped many artists achieve international prominence.
There’s also the fact that, as a nation with a long history of music and camping, the Brits are passionate about filling their boots with both! The United Kingdom has evolved into a bright light in the realm of music festivals due to its status as a country where world-famous bands and musicians abound. So what are the greatest UK-based music festivals? With assistance from the music bloggers at Upbeat Geek, we’ve compiled a list of must-see UK music festivals
Reading & Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds festivals are a rite of passage for young people in the United Kingdom. The two events take place at the same time, with performers performing the same set in both locations on different days. With multiple days of alternative music and comedy, Reading and Leeds used to have a disreputable image with campfires awash with huge bonfires and riots for the sake of it. Since 2010, the festivals have cleaned up their act, banned campfires, and made the whole event considerably safer.
Every year in the middle of summer, Reading and Leeds is a major hit among students and recent graduates, with many people travelling from all over the country. The Reading Festival is the UK’s most venerable music event, having hosted performances from some of the world’s most renowned rock and alternative stars. It’s regarded as one of the best music festivals in the country.
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is regarded as one of the world’s leading music festivals. Glastonbury is a musical wonderland with over 100 stages and 2,800 shows spread out across the entire weekend. With the biggest names in music and the greatest artists in every genre, Glastonbury has something for everyone.
Glastonbury has several distinctions that distinguish it from other festivals. It is noteworthy that all profits are donated to charity partners such as WaterAid and Oxfam, making it unique compared to other festivals. The absence of barriers between camping sites and stages is one of Glastonbury’s most appealing features. This means punters can set up camp in front of the stage and avoid spending extra money at bars by drinking at home. To see how a festival like Glasto is built, check this out:
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Boomtown Festival
Boomtown, which is relatively new to the festival scene, has made a significant impact since its inception in 2009. Each year there is a “chapter,” which is essentially a theme for that year that feeds into a larger narrative. The narrative of the chapter is presented through staged readings, acting, and real sets, providing it a one-of-a-kind experience!
Every year, a different costume theme is required. The 2020 costume theme (which was ironically terminated due to coronavirus) was supposed to be post-apocalyptic! The music at Boomtown is varied, but it’s usually less crowded than other major British festivals.
Isle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival is one of the UK’s oldest music festivals, having first begun in 1968 before being suppressed after massive turnouts in 1970 and resurrected in 2002. It has since attracted some of the most well-known names in music and is frequently one of the UK’s largest festivals.
That reputation, dating back to the notorious 1970s event, is a hippy-free love celebration. Although it has certainly updated since then, it still evokes that vintage hippy mysticism. The Isle of Wight is an island off the south coast of England, so attendees must take a boat there. It has now become a mainstay of the festival schedule with an attendance of up to 70,000 people.
